https://www.blm.gov/

Bureau of Land Management

Fire Dispatcher

May 2018 - October 2019 • Boise, ID

What I liked

Awesome people to work with. Fun, upbeat work environment

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

The fire world is a lot of fun
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Land Surveyor Intern

January 2017 • Boise, ID

What I liked

Real on the job experience training for the career I am interested in.

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

Jump on a Pathways Internship if you get the chance.
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Geology and GIS Intern

July - August 2019 • Anchorage, AK

What I liked

I loved working with the employees at the office. They were very welcoming. I also had the opportunity to travel to the Arctic Circle for a series of mining inspections.

What I wish was different

N/A

Advice

To be flexible if plans have to change and to always look on the bright side of things. Your experiences are what you make of them, and I definitely wouldn't have had as much fun or learned as much of I didnt step out of my comfort zone.
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Wildland Firefighter

May - August 2019 • Pocatello, ID

What I liked

It was exciting. Got to travel a lot and work hard. Made good money for school.

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

This is a great summer job and you make good money for school. You loose your summer though because of how much work you do but it’s a great experience.
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Wildland Firefighter

May - August 2019 • Elko, NV

What I liked

Fighting wildfires.

What I wish was different

Longer season, not needing to return to school.

Advice

Work hard and be in shape.
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Field research

May - August 2019 • Kanab, UT

What I liked

The job was amazing with so many new experiences. I discovered new species of reptiles that I have never seen before, every day that I was out working.

What I wish was different

I wish I had been able to find more rattlesnakes than what we did, but it was still an amazing experience

Advice

Advice that I'd give is that it is very hard work. Make sure that you prepare for 4 days away from home and always to have extra water.
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Range Tech

May - August 2019 • Kanab, UT

What I liked

I liked being outside almost every day.

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

Be on time every day and be willing to change plans to do what is required of you.
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Wildland Firefighter

May - August 2019 • Safford, AZ

What I liked

I’ve been doing this for 4 summers now, it’s all for a good cause. Saving forests and homes is always rewarding.

What I wish was different

Being a squad boss there’s always ways to improve myself to become a better leader to the members of my squad. Always lessons to be learned to be better.

Advice

It’s a hard job 60% of the time, but 100% of the times I will always come back because there is just never anything like it. The experiences, the people, the personal growth....it’s always worth it.
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Wildland Firefighter

May - August 2019 • Twin Falls, ID

What I liked

Great work environment

What I wish was different

Advice

Be ready to work long unpredictable hours.
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Range Technician

May 2019 • Cedar City, UT

What I liked

I loved the Cedar City Field Office. Not only did I meet new people but I made new friends and connections that continue to benefit me even after the summer internship is over.

What I wish was different

Advice

Be ready to learn and ready to work hard.
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Wildland Firefighter

May 2016 - August 2019 • Shoshone, ID

What I liked

The people, the feeling of accomplishment after a hard day of work, having opportunities to travel, the money, the opportunity to learn manual labor skills

What I wish was different

Wish I would have gotten a raise when I deserved it. And also that there was more for us to do when there weren’t fires

Advice

Don’t be shy. Starting out is super tough because you feel like you don’t know anything or anybody. Making friends quick helps.
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Lead Hotshot Firefighter

April - November 2019 • Pocatello, ID

What I liked

Leading a group of men and women in a fluid environment

What I wish was different

it Would have been nice if the rookies had a more competitive attitude

Advice

Small words of praise go a long way when a project is long and arduous
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Wildland Firefighter

May - August 2019 • Burley, ID

What I liked

Experience, people, and money.

What I wish was different

More time for summer activities and travels.

Advice

Such a good character building job and you stay in great shape.
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Wildland Firefighter

April - August 2019 • Vernon, UT

What I liked

It's a great Job that has helped me to provide for school. You have the opportunity to work with a crew and meet individuals that will be lifelong friends, you get to work out (have to) on the Job and the nature of the work itself keeps you in shape, and you get to experience something incredibly unique that not a lot of individuals have the opportunity to. It's just an incredibly unique, challenging, but rewarding experience. Often you can live at a station and save money that way (rent is really cheap), and you make a lot of money when you are busy (overtime and time on a fire are the common ways a paycheck amount can increase quickly).

What I wish was different

My boss was really hard to work with, but taught me a lot about working on a team and working to achieve something bigger than yourself. It can be a lot of fun when you work with cool individuals, but it can also make for a long summer when you have a difficult crew member or boss.

Advice

Be ready to donate your summer, you often work 16 hour days for up to two weeks at a time, which gives you an opportunity to make money. Overtime fire assignments are essentially expected. Also, be ready to work hard and work long. It's paced work but can test your mental strength. I worked on a Hotshot Crew for two weeks in Idaho, I showered once during that time; and that was lucky.
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Recreation technician

May 2019 • Kanab, UT

What I liked

I loved my immersive experience in the outdoors and all of the connections I was able to make with my office.

What I wish was different

I wish I could transition into a full time position doing the same thing I’m doing in my internship.

Advice

Internships are an amazing opportunity for college students and should definitely be taken advantage of.
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BLM intern

May - August 2019 • Kanab, UT

What I liked

I enjoyed learning new things about the wildlife in my area and getting to go outdoors a lot!

What I wish was different

I wish I had more instruction as to what I should be doing, and felt like I had more of a purpose doing it.

Advice

To learn everything you can from your mentor!
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Wildland Firefighter

May 2019 • Twin Falls, ID

What I liked

Outdoors, excitement and adrenaline, adventure.

What I wish was different

More time at home sometimes.

Advice

Work hard and learn.
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Biological Science Aid

June - September 2019 • Pocatello, ID

What I liked

Wonderful staff that always made learning new things a breeze.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Hydrologist Intern - Water Rights tech

May 2019 • Malad City, ID

What I liked

I liked being outdoors and being challenged to overcome rough terrain and long hours. I really enjoyed learning about our hydrologic cycle and being able to see that cycle through our landscape, and coming out springs on the side of mountains.

What I wish was different

I wish we could have spent more time testing the quality of the water coming out the springs and further down the stream. It would have possibly be vital information on the effects of grazing cattle and our watershed.

Advice

Comfortable shoes, sun screen, and determination are essential to get through this experience. You need to expect rough hikes, terrain, thick vegetation, and poor weather and be mentally prepared to keep pushing through it.
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Archaeological Technician

May - September 2019 • Meeker, CO

What I liked

I liked all of the different aspects of archaeology that I learned, that are not traditionally taught in college.

What I wish was different

Nothing, I enjoyed my experience.

Advice

Be prepared for anything when you take an internship, things are constantly changing. Adaptability is definitely a good characteristic to have when interning.
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